bathtime troubles

My camera is out in the car and I don't want to get it. So, using the scanner is my best option at the moment. What did I scan? oh, just a bar of soap I found in the kids bathroom. Someone was hungry during his tub time. (and must have liked what he tasted after the first bite. I am telling you, my baby's taste buds don't work.)

My little boys bathe often. Always in the morning after breakfast but sometimes after lunch and after dinner too. Then there's the occasional lull during the afternoon when I need to clean or teach a math concept. The bathtub is the best place to stick the annoyers and keep them occupied. And Simon loves a good bath before bedtime. It's not unusual to give him 4-8 baths a day. It keeps his little tush baby soft, just the way I like it.

They are usually super happy in the tub. On Sundays they bathe in my room so I can get ready without them running around like wild animals. This past Sunday I decided to get ALL the way ready before they got out of the tub... which means makeup applied, hair curled and heels on. Zack and Simon were happily playing until I was completely ready. I grabbed their towels and went to take them out of the tub when I realized that the water was super murky-- like they were bathing in warm, gray snow. Come to find out, Zack needed to blow his nose while in the tub. He got out, grabbed a new roll of toilet paper and brought it back with him. He claims he didn't put it IN the tub (which I believe him) but he left it in the babymoster's reach.

Everything had discinigrated in the warm water... including the cardboard roll in the middle. I opened the drain and nothing happened. I tried washing the murk out of their hair with clean water from the tap and eventually got them rinsed enough to take out of the mess. But even after they were dry, they had white dust coming off their bodies. Luke and Ben were having a great time blowing in Simon's hair and watching puff fly out. It was quite the adventure.

Twenty minutes before church started, I realized that I needed to plunge the tub in order to get it to drain properly. I guess I could have left it to slowly drain while we spent 3 hours at church, but knew I would come home to an even bigger mess. I took off my heels and my nylons and grabbed the plunger. I scooped wet toilet paper into the garbage and finally got the drain cleared. 10 minutes before church started, I put my heels on for the second time and loaded the kids in the car. We made it before the meeting began and I felt so grateful that Sacrament meeting now starts at 10 and not 8 am. Such a blessing in my life!

Simon was crazy during the first hour (surprise, surprise) and bounced off the pew and hit his head on the hymn book holder on the seats in front of us. We spent much of the time in the hall... He was crying and I was cursing my heels. Why do I get dressed up to walk around with a crying baby? (Someone please remind me why I go to church!) I tried hanging out in the mother's lounge with other blessed women who were feeding their babies, but it was much too crowded. Our building needs a mother's lounge the size of the gym... with 50 recliners. And a coffee maker. Once it got too crowded, I left, asking the other women if anyone wanted a drink at Sonic. They declined because they're righteous.

Aaron spent the day in meetings. I saw him from across the building once and walked up to shake his hand. He gave me a quick hug and sent me into the nursery, where I spent two hours with snotty nosed kids (cute ones). One darling little boy crawled behind tables folded up against the wall...and knocked one down in the middle of the kids. It landed without hitting (or killing) a soul. A small Sabbath miracle, if you ask me. Simon loves it in the nursery and so do I. It's a place I can take off my heels and snack on goldfish without anyone judging me.

The baby fell asleep on the drive home and we ate baked potatoes that Ben kindly made before church. They were delish and I've decided to make it a new Sunday tradition. It's simple, easy for the kids to prepare and really yummy after a long day at church. And there's little clean up... exactly what every tired mommy needs on the day of rest. After we ate, I headed upstairs to take a bath in my clean, drained tub. I read a book and relaxed. When Aaron came home from his meetings, he told me that I have it easier than he does. I wanted to flip him off, but decided to not to. It was Sunday, after all.

The days seem SO long, but the weeks go by quickly. I can't believe January is almost over. Luke's birthday (and his baptism) are less than 10 away. I am really excited for him and proud of the decisions he has made. He will be baptized into a church that requires a lot of his time and dedication. The rewards are so much greater than the sacrifices. I feel so much gratitude for the answers I have received over the years while attending church and reading the scriptures. They bring me peace and allow me to be a better wife, mother and friend. I have a lot to work on, no doubt about it. But I have so much to be grateful for... so much to be happy about. At the end of a long day, I find myself soaking in my tub, thinking about the mini-miracles (tender mercies) that are poured upon me and my family. I'm not sure if life is just a bowl of cherries, but it is very sweet.